Tropical Storm Chan-hom Passing Near Guam, Saipan; May Threaten Asia as a Typhoon (FORECAST)

Jon Erdman
Published: July 4,2015
Tropical Storm Chan-hom will continue to impact Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan with heavy rain and gusty winds as it passes through the islands into Sunday night, local time. Guam is 14 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern daylight time.
After impacting those islands, Chan-hom is forecast to become a typhoon again and could be a significant threat to parts of east Asia in the new week ahead.
The center of Chan-hom passed between Guam and Saipan near the island of Rota on Sunday morning, local time. Winds have gusted to near 40 mph at Guam International Airport, and more than 5 inches of rain has been recorded at Andersen Air Force Base. Impacts will continue in Guam and the northern Mariana Islands as the center of Chan-hom moves westward.

Enhanced Satellite: Chan-hom

The NWS office in Guam lists the following potential impacts:

• Winds: 25-45 mph Sunday afternoon, diminishing early Monday.
• Surge: 1-2 feet of coastal inundation along east-facing shores.
• Surf: 6-12 feet, possibly building to 12-15 feet late Sunday.
• Rain: More than 6 inches are possible through Sunday night, resulting in some flooding.

(FORECAST: Guam)

Guam Radar/Current Winds

If this sounds like a bit of deja vu, you're right.
Typhoon Dolphin's eye passed between Guam and Rota Island in mid-May as a strong Category 2 equivalent storm. Fortunately, Dolphin saved its rapid intensification to super typhoon status after leaving the Marianas.
After leaving Guam and the Marianas, Chan-hom is expected to continue to track northwest next week around the west and southwest side of high-pressure aloft.
Like Super Typhoon Dolphin in May, Chan-hom may undergo a period of rapid intensification in this zone of the western Pacific Ocean.
Chan-hom could be a threat to the Japanese islands (including Okinawa and Iwo Jima), Taiwan, eastern China, or the Korean peninsula late in the new week ahead. However, details at this time are highly uncertain.

Chan-hom Forecast Path

Those with interests in Japan or near the coast of the East China Sea should monitor forecast updates on Chan-hom the next several days.
Chan-hom isn't the only system we are tracking in the western Pacific. Tropical Storm Nangka is east of Chan-hom and will likely pass well north of Guam next week. Tropical Storm Linfa is currently passing near the northern Philippines, bringing with it heavy rain and possible flooding.
(MORE: Tracking Linfa | Tracking Nangka)
Meteorologist Chris Dolce contributed to this report.

MORE: Super Typhoon Maysak Images (March-April 2015)